Score
by Psychic Prince
Summary: Ike had been chasing Marth for twenty years.


**Wow, it's been a while.**

**Geez, I'm really inconsistent with my updates. And I'm pretty sure this is my longest one-shot ever (which isn't saying much, compared to other people). And my most explicit.  
**

**Anyways, congrats on getting into SSB4, Ike! I know I'm extremely late, but I was really happy to see that he joined the roster (mostly so I could ship more IkeMarth, haha).**

**Warnings: Unbeta'd, language, sex, yaoi**

* * *

Ike had been chasing Marth for twenty years.

Ike had been just five years old when he encountered Marth for the first time. There were new people moving into the house next door to his own, and he could see many grown-ups moving around boxes. (Hopefully, they were filled with toys.)

He stopped rolling his toy truck around the sidewalk and stood to watch his new neighbors. They didn't look like much fun. There was a girl, and she looked at least five years older than he was. She definitely wouldn't even think of climbing trees or playing Pokémon with him.

Ike was about to retreat into his own home when he saw another member of the new family. It was a boy, and he seemed to be about Ike's age. To him, it didn't matter if this new boy looked like a girl – Ike just wanted to play.

He ran over and smiled energetically at the boy and stood on his tiptoes (this new boy was taller than him by about half a foot, which kind of miffed Ike).

"Hey! I'm Ike! What's your name? I live right over there! Do you wanna come over and play? Do you like Pokémon? My favorite is Jigglypuff, only don't tell anyone, 'cause all the kids at school will just make fun of me, okay?"Ike rambled eagerly.

The boy looked surprised – his blue eyes widened and he spluttered out, "E-Eh? Eh... My name... Marusu. Eh..."

"What? Mar-oo-soo? That's a cool name. But it's kinda hard to say. Can I just call you Mar-Mar instead?"

The boy, Marusu, looked down at his feet and mumbled something that sounded like an agreement.

Ike opened his mouth to say more, but he heard his mother calling for him (it was nearly dinner time), so he bid Marusu a cheery farewell and hurried home.

Ike later discovered that Marusu's name was actually "Marth" in English, and that he'd recently moved from Japan. He was three years older than Ike, which actually was disappointing – he'd been hoping that Marth would be in his grade at school so they could be best friends. But Marth was indeed a fast learner, and he was quickly able to communicate fluently with Ike.

They often played together in the local park. Marth didn't mind hanging out with a child three years younger than him. After all, Ike's approachable personality made him feel more comfortable. And Ike took pride in the fact that Marth was so easy-going with him.

But as they grew older, they grew apart. As time passed, it seemed like their age gap grew larger as well. When Ike was just in third grade, Marth had already begun middle school. By the time Ike was twelve and in the seventh grade, he was a rising basketball star in middle school while Marth was a sophomore in the local high school. He was the president of the student council and was quite popular in his school (at least, amongst the girls). He was established as a cool, respectable, and elegant student, and was quickly labeled as the "Prince" of the school.

They no longer spent time together by then. Ike was lucky if Marth even acknowledged him if they saw each other from their respective yards.

Although Marth seemed okay with their obvious falling-out, Ike certainly was not. He'd grown attached to his Japanese neighbor, and by the time eighth grade rolled around, Ike was an expert at stalking his former friend. He began to constantly follow Marth around and ask him all kinds of questions about his schoolwork and homework. It wasn't that Ike was stupid – no, it was quite the opposite, in fact. Ike was very smart and level-headed, but when it came to Marth, he would pretend to not know the material just so that they could be close.

It was in ninth grade that Ike realized that he loved Marth. Not just as a friend, but romantically.

He'd been walking through the halls with Link and Pit, his close friends, when he saw a flustered Marth receiving a sort of letter from a blushing girl. Ike didn't need to see the contents of the letter to know exactly what it was. A love letter.

In the back of his mind, Ike knew that he shouldn't have been surprised. As a senior, Marth was extremely popular for his kind personality and smile. He was beautiful as well, with his soft blue hair, lean figure, and dark eyes. Whenever Ike looked into those eyes, he felt like he was staring into the depths of the ocean itself and that he would simply just be sucked in and left to drown.

Ike knew he had no right to be jealous, either. After all, Marth still barely paid much attention to him. But that didn't stop his chest from tightening unpleasantly. Dark green envy clouded his mind, and Ike simply stood there, with his fists tightly clenched at his sides, as Marth gracefully accepted the girl's letter with a lightly flushed face and gave her a warm smile.

Ike, being a simple, lovesick freshman, later confronted Marth after classes ended. The senior was juggling several textbooks and papers in his arms while carrying his schoolbag.

"Mar-Mar!"

Marth stopped in his tracks and shouldered his backpack. Ike could see him looking at him up and down – over the past year, Ike shot up in height while Marth remained the same. This resulted in Ike being taller than Marth, who now gave Ike a disapproving frown and said calmly, "Ike, how many times have I told you to drop that nickname? It's embarrassing..."

Ignoring Marth's remark, Ike blurted out, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Startled, Marth's eyes widened and he abruptly dropped the books in his arms. He cursed quietly beneath his breath and knelt down to pick up his loose papers before they were lost in the wind. Ike noticed that the senior's ears had gone completely red.

When he gathered his bearings, Marth spluttered, "I-Ike! Of course I don't! If I did, you'd probably know by now. So don't fluster me like that, dammit!"

But Ike didn't give up. "Not a girlfriend, eh? Boyfriend, then?" Ike certainly hoped that Marth wasn't seeing anybody, but one couldn't be too sure. It may have been selfish of him to think so, but Ike really just wanted Marth to return his affections and see only him.

"What?"Marth asked incredulously.

"You know, Mar-Mar, I think we've been friends for a long time, right? Like..." Ike counted on his fingers before he continued, "Thirteen years or so? Anyways, I think I have the right to know if you've had some guy's junk up your-"

Marth promptly struck Ike over the head with his stack of textbooks (which could have, in fact, broken Ike's neck) and stalked away, a dark, irritated aura now surrounding him.

Ike let out a huffy sigh of frustration and furiously rubbed at his new injury with his palm.

…

Marth slammed his hands down on the table, resulting in a loud crash. The other customers in the restaurant raised their heads at the sound, then shot both Marth and Ike disapproving and contemptuous looks. Still furious, Marth slowly sank down into his chair again and glared at Ike with the ferocity of an angry lion.

"Ike, no,"he growled, "You're being stupid."

Ike nonchalantly lifted his cup and slurped at his orange juice through the straw. "What do you mean?"

"You're a junior, Ike, and you can't afford to let your opportunities slip away from you! Why the _hell _would you quit the basketball team? You were the ace!"

"I guess I just got tired of it."

"Tired? _Tired _of _basketball_?!"Marth exclaimed. His eyes darkened, and again, Ike felt lost as he tried to stare Marth down.

Despite his seemingly collected, strong personality and infamous poker face, Marth's eyes revealed his true nature – like water, his eyes were deep and changing and uncertain. Sometimes, his eyes were bright and still and peaceful, like a serene pool. But other times, they were unfocused and misty, like air. And on the rare occasion, Marth's eyes grew dark, stormy, and harsh. It was times like those that made Ike seem like he was drowning in the depths of the ocean.

Sometimes, Ike felt stupid for examining his friend's eyes so carefully over the past thirteen years.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and tore his gaze away from Marth's – the man's dark eyes flashed with irritation. "Er, yeah."

"Don't give me that shit!"

The tone of Marth's voice made Ike involuntarily flinch, as if he were a child being scolded by a parent.

Marth saw Ike's defensive position, then tried to smooth things over a bit by forcing his voice to take on a gentler tone. "Ike, look at me,"he said firmly, reaching across the table and placing his hand on Ike's arm.

Ike could almost hear the question in Marth's gesture. He kept his hand light and gentle on Ike's arm, giving him the choice to either shrug it off or accept his silent apology. And Ike silently forgave him by obeying Marth and looking up again (but then again, he just liked it that Marth had voluntarily touched him in such an affectionate way).

Marth's mouth turned up in a subtle smile, but his voice was still serious. "Ike, I just wanted to know at least one thing. You weren't thinking of following me into college, were you?"

Ike shifted uncomfortably under Marth's gaze, then grunted, "Yeah. I knew I had to study really hard to get into the same college as you with the same major, so I quit the team."

Much to Ike's disappointment, Marth took his hand off of his arm to rub his temples, a habit that he'd developed since middle school. (Ike would know this, just because he was such a stalker when it came to Marth.)

Marth said in a weary tone, "I just don't understand. You love basketball so much. Hell, you made me go to every one of your middle school games. So why? Why would you try to follow me? Look, I know we're friends and all, but your kind of commitment is astonishing... Honestly, I've always felt kind of bad for not giving you the same type of attention, but... I really believe you should follow your _own _path, not mine, you hear? I mean-"

This time, it was Ike who slammed his hands down on the table. He reached over and grabbed Marth by the shoulders, who was shocked at Ike's rash actions. He didn't even realize that he'd knocked over his glass of orange juice.

"Dammit Marth, how obvious could I be? I've been following you this whole time for a reason, you know!"

Ike clenched his teeth as Marth continued to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Ike-"

"_I love you, dammit_!"

…

"Ike Greil, right?"

"Yes." Ike fidgeted a little under the gaze of the woman at the front desk. It seemed like she was checking him out, which Ike should've been used to by now.

He was a good six feet tall and his charm point was his muscular biceps, according to Peach. Ike didn't remember when he'd developed such a piercing gaze and broad shoulders. He just sort of woke up one morning and noticed the changes.

"Alright. Right over there. Your department is on the fifth floor."

"Thank you very much."

As Ike made his way up to the fifth floor via elevator, he nervously began to tap his foot in a staccato sort of fashion. He was just starting this job, and didn't want to screw anything up.

When he reached the fifth floor, he immediately made his way over to the far side of the room. There, a group of five people were working feverishly. One man with dark blue hair and a hat that covered his face was working on a laptop. He heard Ike enter, and raised his head – Ike was startled to see that the man's eyes were an iridescent yellow color. The man coughed to get his boss's attention for Ike, then went back to writing something on his laptop.

The boss looked up and was about to say something when he realized who his new employee was.

Ike triumphantly stood before Marth and said, "My name is Ike Greil. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lowell."

Marth let out a low groan. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What? I needed a job. I mean, this _is _the literature department, right?"

"Ike, I _told _you-"

By this time, Marth's coworkers were looking up from their work to give Ike questioning glances. A couple women passing by began to giggle, and Marth groaned again.

"Those editors from that damn BL department."

The man with yellow eyes spoke up and said bluntly, "Marth, I suggest that you take your conversation with the new guy outside. You're distracting the people who are actually working."

"Yes, yes. I apologize, Meta,"Marth grumbled, then turned to glare at Ike. "Come on."

It was only until they were in a more secluded part of the building that Ike noticed the dark circles beneath Marth's eyes.

"Marth, look-"

"Ike, when are you going to stop this madness? You can't just follow me around everywhere like some lost puppy! I already declined your affections six years ago! Can't you just do as I say for once?!"Marth snapped.

"No way!"Ike retorted stubbornly, "I won't give up! I'll _make _you love me!"

Marth scoffed, "Yeah, fat chance in hell. There's no turning back time now, so we'll just have to make do, alright? Just remember – our relationship is strictly professional."

"Marth, wait-"

But his new boss was already stalking away.

…

Marth didn't remember a time when he didn't love Ike.

When Ike confessed to him as a junior in high school, Marth had been shocked. But like the idiot he was, he turned down Ike's affections and feigned indifference.

Marth was scared. He often wondered if things could have been different if he hadn't fallen in love with Ike at first sight. They'd been five, and barely knew what love even was. But Marth had been naïve enough to fall right in.

And Marth knew that boys didn't really fall in love with boys. He'd been so frightened that Ike would cease to be his friend if he knew the truth. So Marth kept quiet.

Even though Ike did end up following Marth into college, he thought that maybe after he graduated, Ike would become more independent and move on.

Marth was wrong again.

But other than the fact that Ike had indeed gone into literature and would likely try to get a job near him, Marth thought his life was going well.

Life just wasn't fair.

When Marth turned twenty-three, his beloved older sister, Elice, was involved in a car accident. All Marth knew was that she was driving home from work at night when a drunk driver slammed into the driver's side of her car.

She died on impact.

Marth was the first to hear about the accident. He had been the most recent person to call her. Hell, they'd talked just that morning. He had heard her voice _just that morning_. He didn't know that it would be the last time he'd ever hear her voice again.

Elice was the only one to know about Marth's feelings for Ike. She'd bullied it out of him during the eighth grade. And when she found out that the person her precious younger brother loved was, in fact, Ike, she supported him. She encouraged Marth to confess, and she tried to convince him that Ike liked him back (she was certain that even a blind man would be able to see how head-over-heels Ike was for her brother).

Marth almost strangled her on many occasions when she purposefully dropped hints to Ike. Elice was always searching for ways to get Ike to just bed Marth already. She even locked them in a bedroom together for a whole day before Ike literally tore the door down. Marth refused to look at her for two weeks after that, but she still insisted that Ike had the hots for her brother.

"If you'd just stayed in that room together for a little longer,"Elice had declared, "Ike would have pounced on you like an animal in heat, and BAM! You two would've given into your feelings for each other, _and _you guys would've eloped already. Tsk, but then my innocent little brother wouldn't be so pure anymore, would he?"

In spite of all of her antics, Marth loved his sister dearly. She had been his only family left. And when she got married, Marth literally cried enough to fill ten buckets. It was also the first time he'd truly been completely _wasted_. It had been embarrassing, especially when he woke up the next day in Ike's bed with a huge hangover. (But Marth later discovered that Ike really was a true gentleman – his childhood friend had refused to take advantage of him when he was so drunk.) Marth vowed never to drink again after that.

Marth only wanted a happy life for his sister. But Elice's husband had been drafted into the army the two years prior to her accident and never returned. His sister was gone forever. And Marth was left take care of his three-year-old niece.

He remembered seeing her at Elice's funeral, clothed in a somber black dress.

"Uncle?" She'd inherited the same blue hair and eyes that Marth and Elice had.

Marth turned to her, stiff with grief in his black suit. "Yes, Lucina?"

"Mommy's not going to wake up, is she?"she whispered in a weak voice. She was watching her deceased mother in her coffin. There were flowers everywhere. White flowers that contrasted with the darkness of the funeral itself.

"... No, she isn't,"Marth admitted quietly, then bent down to embrace his niece.

Lucina slowly put her own tiny arms around his torso and buried her face in his chest.

Marth's suit was becoming wet and Lucina's hair was getting damp, but neither of them cared.

…

"Lucina, be good, okay?"

"Okay!"she replied cheerily, then turned to enter her preschool classroom.

Marth stood to watch her go in, then spun around and took off running. He was going to miss the train if he didn't hurry.

The first year of his new life with Lucina passed in a blur. Marth struggled between juggling his job and caring for his beloved niece. But his work was demanding. When he was forced to work late into the night, Marth would quickly go and pick Lucina up and hurry back to work. Considering his position, his coworkers didn't mind much – in fact, Lucina was quite popular among the editors of the shoujo manga department. (And she loved the attention.)

Marth was a terrible cook, but he did his best to provide for Lucina. He constantly sought out his coworkers for help. He asked Zelda how to properly manage a child and work, and Peach often kept Lucina company (although Marth strictly forbade her to show his niece the BL manga that she edited).

Marth was very proud of his niece. She was so mature and strong for her age.

But, as expected, having no real mother or father took a toll on Lucina. Her classmates began to wonder why her last name was different from her "father's". They wondered if she had a mother – surely men couldn't give birth, could they?

Lucina was teased for having no parents.

She began to talk less and less to Marth. She secluded herself and never smiled or laughed. It broke Marth's heart to see her like that. She was just five years old.

It was around that time that Ike reentered his life (again). Marth was already twenty-five, and his coworkers were teasing him, asking why he didn't have a girlfriend or wife yet.

His response was always the same: "The only woman I need in my life is Lucina."

Ike was bound to ask about Lucina, but Marth was still surprised when he sauntered up to his niece during a late shift and asked bluntly, "Who are you?"

Lucina turned her head to stare at Ike, who loomed over her. She shrank back, and Marth quickly stepped in.

"Ike, this is Lucina, my-"

Ike's eyes widened and and grabbed Marth by the collar of his shirt. He hissed, "This is your daughter?! When did you-"

Marth would never admit that he found Ike's obvious jealousy endearing.

He jerked away from Ike and knelt down next to Lucina, who looked away and tensed up. "Ike, this is my _niece_."

Ike's eyebrows furrowed and pointed back and forth between Marth and Lucina. "But you two look so similar! Same hair and eye color and everything! Damn, you could be doppelgangers!"

Marth leaped up and smothered Ike's mouth with his hand. "Watch your language, Greil."

His childhood friend suddenly reached up and took Marth by the wrist, removing his hand from Ike's mouth so that he could speak. "Marth..."

"What?"Marth grunted, slightly miffed.

"... You smell really good."

Marth took the opportunity to abruptly kick Ike in the shin and yank his wrist away from him. He quickly herded Lucina away and said in a low voice, "Lucina, that's what you do when a boy bothers you, okay?"

With a deadpan face and tone, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Boys are gross and weird, Lucina. Trust me on that one. Don't let boys touch you, okay?"

"Marth, you're a boy."

At the use of his first name, Marth flinched. Lucina would only call him "Marth" in the rare times that she _did _address him. It hurt, especially when she'd been calling him "Uncle" for the last three years prior.

"I know, I know. But when you're older and you start liking boys, I want you to be careful, okay? And when you start having boyfriends, just tell them that I have a very impressive and extensive knife collection."

…

Marth had gotten used to Ike being around him constantly after three years. As much as he hated to admit it, Ike was a good coworker. He was efficient and did his job well. If only he didn't flirt with Marth so much in public.

Lucina was already eight years old, but she was still distant and serious.

After work ended one day, Ike offered to take them to dinner. Despite her personality, Marth could tell Lucina liked Ike. He was always very kind and goofy around her, and Marth appreciated that about him.

That night, Marth had the biggest fright of his life.

Lucina had been walking slightly ahead of Marth and Ike, who were talking quietly to each other. No matter what, Marth always felt at ease with Ike, and they easily slipped into conversation.

Suddenly, Marth's vision was flooded with red, and all he could see before him was Lucina, stepping out onto the street during a green light. He could only remember freezing and screaming her name. He saw something jump out from his peripheral vision, and Lucina was suddenly yanked back onto the sidewalk, her blue hair whipping out as a car swept past.

Marth's senses returned to him, and he saw that Ike's figure was hunched over something. He stumbled over to see Lucina wrapped in Ike's crushing embrace, one large hand clutching her head while the other encircled her waist. He was leaning over her protectively, like a shield.

"Lucina..."Marth whispered in a broken voice, falling to his knees. His heart was still racing at an incredible pace.

Ike loosed his grip and glanced at Marth. He let his arms drop and Marth shakily pulled Lucina forward and checked her up and down.

"Are you hurt?"he asked.

She shook her head, obviously shaken.

He slowly pulled her into his arms, his breaths shuddering. Marth didn't even realize that he'd been crying.

"I'm sorry,"he choked out.

Lucina's arms remained at her sides. "Why are you sorry? I should be-"

Marth pulled her away from him to look at her in the eye. His vision was blurry. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be the mother that you've always dreamed of. I'm sorry that I couldn't be the father you've never had. I'm... I'm sorry,"he sobbed, his voice cracking, "You deserved more from me than a terrible childhood and a world full of troubles."

"Uncle..." To his surprise, Lucina hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest. "I love you."

As Marth embraced her once again, he felt Ike place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

…

Ike was sitting at Marth's kitchen table. He saw Marth approach in the dim light, and he sat down next to Ike and let out a weary sigh. His friend had just finished putting Lucina to bed.

"Ike."

He raised his head to gaze at Marth questioningly. "Yeah?"

Marth looked up at Ike. His eyes were a blue that Ike had never seen before in their twenty years of friendship. For once, he wondered what Marth was thinking.

"Thank you. I... I appreciate you for always being there for me. I owe you more than the world itself."

Ike's gaze softened and he said quietly, "Marth, I'll always be there for you. Whether you like it or not."

To his surprise, Marth leaned his head on Ike's shoulder and murmured, "I don't deserve you."

"Idiot,"Ike replied fondly, "You don't need to prove anything to me. I'd still love you, even if you didn't deserve me. Remember, I've been chasing you for the past twenty years."

Marth smiled faintly. They sat together in silence for a moment before Marth said something in a low whisper.

"I love you, Ike."

Ike's eyes widened and a glanced down at Marth in shock. "W-What?"

Marth sat up and admitted, "I've loved you since we first met. I was just scared to admit it... At first, I didn't want to be in love with you. I tried to run away, but... Well, being near you for twenty years changed my mind. I'm not afraid anymore."

By then, their faces were so close together. Ike could just lean over and -

He closed the gap.

It had taken twenty years, but damn, it was worth it. At first, Ike could only feel Marth's mouth moving against his, and it took him a while to notice that Marth's hand had begun to graze his inner thigh.

Ike broke away and gasped, "Marth! Lucina's sleeping in the other room..!"

Marth gave him a sheepish look through half-lidded eyes (but it was also a strangely sexy look). "I'm sorry I've kept you waiting for twenty years, Ike." Marth practically purred his name.

"... Holy shit, Marth,"Ike sighed, his voice coming out gravelly. He stood, took Marth by the wrist, and made his way into Marth's small bedroom.

When they had both gotten rid of each other's clothes, Ike broke away from yet another kiss and said breathily, "Damn, Elice would've been so happy to see this."

Marth let out a light laugh and wrapped his arms around Ike's neck to pull him down again.

Sex really wasn't what Ike had expected it to be at all.

There was no screaming. Nothing was rushed or overdone.

The only sounds in the room were Ike's labored breathing, Marth's soft and breathy moans, the creaking of the bed, and the occasional, quiet sound of skin against skin.

When they both finished, Marth wrapped his arms around Ike, who did the same.

"Ike?" Marth's voice was peacefully weary.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Ike smiled into Marth's hair, enjoying the feeling of having his warm body against his.

"I love you too."

As Marth fell asleep, Ike only had one thing on his mind.

He was definitely the luckiest man alive.

…

"Ike, did you get your paperwork in? Where's the manuscript?"

"Marth, give me just a second, I swear-"

Marth slammed his hands down on the table and swore. "Your deadline was today!"

Ike waved to show Marth he was well aware. He was typing furiously on his laptop.

"My, my, Mar-Mar. You're spewing such dirty language at work today. You're just lucky that Lucina isn't here right now, bless her eleven-year-old soul,"Ike said absently, shuffling through various papers.

"Dammit, Ike! You-"

Peach called from the other side of the room, "Hey! You two, I can feel the sexual tension from all the way over here! Keep your personal life out of work! When's the last time you two fuc-"

"Almost a month, Peach. Shut up and keep your nose in your own work!"Marth snapped back, running a shaky hand through his hair.

Things had been extremely busy at work. Deadlines were everywhere, and Marth was stressed to no end. He buried his face in his hands, slumping his shoulders in defeat.

"Marth."

He looked up to see Ike holding out a stack of papers for him. "I finished in time. Geez, you didn't have to doubt me so much."

Marth took the paperwork and muttered, "Sorry, Ike. It's just been really stressful, and I can't-"

Ike leaned down and whispered into Marth's ear, "No, it's my fault. I haven't been... _taking care of you properly_."

Meta Knight called Ike over, and he quickly added, "We'll settle this later at home... Preferably in bed."

Marth flushed a bright red and told Ike to shut up.

His lover laughed and stole a quick kiss from him.

"I love you too, Marth."

…

Ike had been chasing Marth for twenty years.

After that, they walked together, side by side, for all of the years to come.

* * *

**It took me like... a week to finish this thing. I'm a terrible person.  
**

**Yes, I know Lucina isn't in SSB, and she's not even in Marth or Ike's installment of Fire Emblem. But I just wanted to add her because 1) I needed a girl name, and 2) I love Lucina. Besides, Lucina disguised herself as Marth for a while and is his great-great-great-great-granddaughter or something. In any case, they're related. Good enough for me.**

**Special Note: Just like a dozen is twelve, a score is a way to express the quantity of twenty.**

**Please review!**

**- Psychic**


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